Whats it like to be an English/Literature teacher?

Question

can anyone tell me what they like/dislike about this job? especially re: workload, discipline, employment availabilty, politics etc? thanks for any and all info.

Answer 1

Be prepared to read a lot of horrible essays.  My English teacher friends are always swamped with essays. There is also a lot of pressure on them to increase student writing achievement each year (even though the school passes NCLB/ AYP yearly).  The school is always telling them to have their students write more more more more more and they have to grade more grade more grade more.  

They all have gray hair now.

Answer 2

I love teaching English.  I loved teaching in the big urban district where all my classes had 30 kids apiece and none of them could read at grade level, and I love teaching now in the private international school where I have 17 students in my largest class and all of them are college-bound.

Kids are kids really, and they are the best part of the job.  Getting to talk about great books and seeing the light bulbs go off over over your students heads is a just about the most fun you can have, (at least if you are the English-teacher type).  However, that is not the only part, or even the largest part of the job.

A whole lot of being a teacher, particularly in a public school district, is doing paperwork, going to meetings where little is accomplished, and making sure your kids pass standardized tests.  I had a whole other professional life before I became a teacher, and I have to say that the office politics in the school where I used to teach were worse than anything in corporate America.  Between the administrators, the union reps and the tenured teachers who would just refuse to do things they didn't feel like doing, everything was a battle.

As for the other parts of your question, it really depends on the school.  Where I teach now I have a reasonable workload (although it is the first day of summer vacation and  I have been at school for 5 hours packing up my classroom).  

Basically, this is not an easy job, and you are never going to get rich doing it.  But I can't think of anything I would rather do.

Answer 3

I teach high school English.  I love the subject that I teach.  I love reading out loud with them (taking turns) and watching them connect with the literature (doesn't matter the emotion...whether out of frustration, for ex., from what the character is doing: "WHY did she/he DO that?!" or out of joy).  You have to connect the lit with real life, otherwise they don't see the point in reading.  I teach at an alternative school and so it is really cool to see the "tough" students break out of their shell and crack a smile or laugh at the material or to see struggling readers gain the courage to read out loud despite their slow pace (and then see them get better and faster with practice).  I dislike the fact that many of them come into my class with all these prior biases about themselves or negative stereotypes shoved on them over the years from other teachers.  You have to connect the lit with real life, otherwise they don't see the point in reading (in both regular and alternative schools).  I had a large workload when I student-taught regular high school and a very large workload when I long-term subbed at the junior high level (b/c they come every single day instead of block schedule and have a lot of busy work).  This was why I decided alternative schools were better for me...smaller class size and workload but more mentally exhausting.  Discipline...tough everywhere at all levels...honestly, the class will react to you and how you maintain your class: if calm class, then calm students and vice versa.  You have to have a lot of patience and be able to be really positive and not defensive--otherwise the students will get right back in your face (I tried that once while subbing early on and trust me the whole class can turn against you...but you learn and then you learn again!).  You have to be open to change and open to reapproaching a difficult situation from all angles and new angles: if you have difficulty with a student and keep having that same difficulty, then you need to go at it a different way otherwise nothing will change and it will only get worse.  Employment: in most areas (I am in Texas), they always need English teachers as it is one of the "basics."  Politics: depends on you and how you work with what you have, who you run with, etc.  If you keep negative co-workers around you, then you will constantly feel run-down and your job will suck...and, in the end, the students will suffer esp. if they sense tension b/w you and other faculty or you and the administration.  Go to work thinking positive everyday and be positive in and out of the classroom and you will do fine...I know that sounds cliche or too simplistic but honestly it works.  The students (and faculty) respond well to the positive.  Most of all make time for yourself outside of work.  Don't let it consume you--both in terms of time and mentally, physically, etc.  I recently read one article that suggested making a "professional" image so that when you go home at the end of the day, any personal attacks (by students, parents, or even the faculty) won't bother you as much b/c you can always say they don't know ME, they know my professional image (me as a teacher)...not sure how well that works but seems to make sense.  You have to love the subject you teach and be open to loving your students...it makes it so much easier.  Be veryyyy patient and veryyy forgiving!!  Hope that helps (lol, long like an English teacher, we can ramble, lol j/k). Good luck!  :)

Answer 4

It's great, but it depends on what you like and what you expect.  Also, as far as there not being jobs available, that's a crock.  There are tons of jobs if you aren't scared to move away from your mommy and daddy (like so many people are NOT willing to do).  My thing is this, don't complain about there not being any jobs available if you live in an area that has 4 colleges graduating 100 English teachers a year EACH, but are not willing to move where the jobs are.  Just a fact, if you want a job, then go where the jobs are, simple as that.  

Being an English teacher might be the most demanding job ever just because we can't swamp kids with bubble sheets and one word answer quizzes like math, science, and social studies.  In order to get kids proficient at grammar and writing, they must actually write, which means we must grade their writing, which means we must actually read it.  This does supply me with tons of cool reading material, but for crying out loud...  My math teacher friends and my science teacher friends all say stuff like, " you take your grading home?  I would never do that."  Yup, you're right, you wouldn't, and that's why you teach what you teach, and I teach what I teach.  I'm capable and you are not.  Plus, there are ways of doing it wisely.  I assign daily journals, but I only grade even numbers one time, or odd numbers the next, or I'll grade the first two and the last two.  Occasionally if I'm feeling gutsy, I'll grade all of them, but that's only if I have a weekend to kill and don't want to see my kids at all.  

Just for future reference, don't ask a bunch of English teachers to write a response to anything unless you want to read as many 5 page essays as we do.  We're too wordy for our own d**n good.

Answer 5

My friend is an English teacher and loves her job. She got her job because her mom taught there.

The problem with this job, as well as many teaching certifications, is that there are too many teachers and not enough jobs. You may hear that there is a teaching shortage. This is a myth. The reality is that there is a shortage in only certain subjects, not most of them.

English appears to be one of the hardest jobs to find. In my state, it is common for the schools to receive 500 resumes for one opening. Many states are flooded with teachers, including Michigan, PA, NJ, NY, and Ohio. Some states, like Arizona, Florida, Texas, and the Carolinas seem to have parts that need teachers, but not the whole state in each case.

Politics in schools is the worst I have seen ever....who you know gets you hired, not what you know, in many cases. People will not come out and tell you this, but it is true. I have seen it personally.

It may be easier to get jobs in private or inner city schools (they can be one of the most rewarding places in which to work, depending on your preferences).

My advice for anyone who wants to teach is to get more than one certification. Check the job market in your area. That is so important. Do not listen to college profs and advisors-they will flat out lie about the job market.

I know teachers in several states. I also have researched the market. It appears that elementary is the worst area because there are never enough jobs (a school in my state gets over 1000 resumes for each job), followed by Social Studies, English, PE, Art. Math and Science at the secondary level seem to be the more open areas. Foreign languages seem to be open, but you may have to go where those jobs are. Special Education at the secondary level appears to be open, so if that is something you can do, I would recommend it. Elementary special ed. is open in certain states, but not in others-it is flooded in my area.

I left the corporate world to teach. Spent several years going back to school and working as a sub and Teacher's Aide. I have a high GPA, references from veteran teachers, and multiple honors. I could not even get interviews. I had a few and lost out to people with relatives and friends in the schools. One girl came to the interview in flip flops, with no experience and got right in because of a family member.

If you are willing to move to an area that needs teachers, go for it. It is rewarding and there are so many lessons you can plan for that subject.

Answer 6

Although I do not teach English, I can tell you that the toughest part of the job is just like Doc said.  "Be prepared to read essays, many, of which, will be horrible.  It is tougher today then 15 years ago in this age of "text speak."  

On the good side, the relationships you build with the young people, watching improvement, making a difference in someone's life.

Answer 7

my friends mom said it was her perfect dream job,

until she fell in love with her student and you know the rest of the story, know she can't even be around her own kids without adult supervision, so I say go for it just don't fall in love with someone else's kid